I so much want to go on a rant about several things going on in the country, but will bite my tongue for another week. Instead we’ll get a little educational about one of my favorite topics. If you have been following my “Art’s World” feature you know that I have love of history, sports, old radio and TV shows, trivia, music and……………food! That being said here are some fun facts about various foods you may find interesting along with my comments. Like me, you might even discover some things you did not know, so here we go.

Apples – Did you know apples are actually part of the rose family. No, don’t dare give your lady a dozen apples for Valentine’s Day!

Bananas – They contain a natural chemical which can make a person happy. This same chemical is also found in Prozac……..Okay, make up your own joke!

Corn -An average ear of corn has an even number of rows, usually 16…….Now you know the next time you have corn on the cob you are going to count the rows to make sure.

Dunkin’ Donuts – in South Korea they offer doughnut flavors such as Kimchi Croquette and Glazed Garlic…….See what you have been missing by going to Krispy Kreme.

Pretzels  – They were invented by an Italian Monk who used them to bribe children to remember scripture. The criss cross is supposed to represent arms crossed in prayer…….They should give those out at communion instead of those tasteless wafers?

McDonald’s  – They sell 75 hamburgers every second of every day……..I don’t think I’ve eaten 75 McDonald’s hamburgers in my lifetime!

Margherita pizza – The original recipe for was for a tri-color version of the Italian flag basil (green), tomatoes (red) and mozzarella (white)…….And here you thought it had something to do with a drink.

Tomatoes –Technically are fruit but don’t tell the Supreme Court that. In an 1893 ruling they determined the tomato was a vegetable. Their reasoning? Tomatoes are served with a dinner or salad and not as a dessert, therefore they are a vegetable……..And you thought some of the Supreme Court cases today are whacky?

Twinkies  – Originally they had a banana crème filling. But with the advent of WW II and banana shipments stalled, they went to the vanilla crème filling……Today you can get your fix in several different flavors.

Ketchup – Did you know that back in the 1800’s ketchup was used as a medicine for treating diarrhea, among other things……..Now that you know, still want to put ketchup on that burger?

Almonds – They are a member of the peach family. So when you eat almonds you are actually eating a fruit not some variety of nut.

Carrots – In its ancient form, the carrot was purple, not orange. Dutch growers changed that in the late t6th century mixing white and yellow carrots to get the orange ones we are familiar with today………Now I know why purple is my favorite color.

Bananas  #2 – A cluster of bananas is called a “hand”. A single banana is called a “finger”……..I really could add something here, but you can make up your own.

Okay our time this week is done. Now I’m ready for a nice large sausage pizza with extra cheese. So in the words of Alton Brown, “I bid you all good eating.”

Info from RandomDailyFacts.com, Buzzfeed.com, funFunnyfacts.com